


Ruruhau

by ThatOneWritingPerson



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Child Neglect, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, Maori Mako Rutledge, Murder, Original characters as plot device, Pre-ALF, Pre-Apocalypse, cursing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 14:05:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8059210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatOneWritingPerson/pseuds/ThatOneWritingPerson
Summary: Ruruhau: (noun) shelter, refuge, protector."The sun had already begun to set when a small figure scurried around between massive solar panels. Normally, the owner of the solar farm would've grabbed his rifle and yell at whoever was out there to sod off, but he knew the visitor was no threat to him. No-one was, really. Mako towered above everyone, making him the threat to others.That little fact made it even more amazing that an infant would dare to trespass his property and go near him. Then again, he had known this child since day one and had watched over him for the past four years.He wished he didn’t have to, though."





	

**Author's Note:**

> When I was writing this story, I assumed Junkrat was about five years old when the Omnium exploded. Later, I found out he'd been three years old. I didn't want to delete this story, though, so please consider this an "alternate timeline" fic. Thank you kindly!

The sun had already begun to set when a small figure scurried around between massive solar panels. Normally, the owner of the solar farm would've grabbed his rifle and yell at whoever was out there to sod off, but he knew the visitor was no threat to him. No-one was, really. Mako towered above everyone, making _him_ the threat to others.  
That little fact made it even more amazing that an infant would dare to trespass his property and go near him. Then again, he had known this child since day one and had watched over him for the past four years.  
  
He wished he didn’t have to, though.  
  
The young boy got closer and closer to Mako’s house. He pondered whether or not he’d save both of them some time by calling him over, but decided not to. The poor kid received enough orders at home and became anxious whenever someone would raise their voice even a little. Such a shame. With his intelligence, the boy could have a beautiful, bright future ahead of him. No matter the subject, he’d soak up information like a sponge. He’d point out constellations with ease and could recite the periodic table as if it were the alphabet. Ask him the chemical formula of TNT and he’d tell you without hesitating.  
  
Yes, a bright kid. Maybe even a prodigy. Though he didn’t look like it at all. His worn-out clothes, greasy hair and a foul odor made him look more like a streetrat. If only his father would take better care of him.  
  
But Mako knew all too well that it’d never happen. He had known the family for years. Even had an affair with the housewife for a short while. She had longed for a pair of strong yet gentle arms to hold her. He had longed for a woman’s touch. It had continued until she got pregnant and they both feared it was his.  
It was both a relieve and a disappointment when the baby turned out to look like her husband. Mako was all too aware the man would make a horrible parent.  
The child was doomed from the start.  
  
Things really got out of hand when the mother had disappeared a year ago. People said she packed her bags and left. Mako was almost sure she was beaten to death. She wasn’t the type to leave her son to fend for himself. She had loved him so dearly.  
And Mako had loved her enough to mourn for months. He even had a symbol added to his moko, wanting to be reminded of her every single day for the rest of his life. A wordless confession, worn on his face for anyone to see.  
  
A constant reminder of the person he failed to protect.  
  
Finally, the boy got close enough for him to see the poor state he was in. A sorry excuse for pajamas covering a thin frame. Despite being tall for his age, he most certainly wasn’t wide. Probably had too little to eat for the past few days. Hadn’t seen a washcloth in days, either.  
“You’re out late, kid,” Mako spoke. “Shouldn’t you be in bed, yet?”  
Big amber eyes stared up at the giant man.  
“Got locked out, mister Rutledge,” the youngster muttered. “I tried t’get daddy bu’ I think he can’t ‘ear me.”  
The rumble of an empty stomach on the other hand could be heard loud and clear.  
“You’re hungry, aren’t you? Want something to eat?”  
  
The little runt nodded and followed Mako into the house. There, their own little ritual would begin. First get some food for the malnourished child to eat, then spend half an hour talking about whatever was on the kid’s mind while regaining some energy, until it was time for a proper bath. Mako had bought extra bubbly bath foam just for him. The boy loved bubbles, trying to pop as many of them before the man would haul him out of the tub and start drying him off with the softest towel he could find.  
  
The giant felt a lump forming in the back of his throat when he saw big, dark bruises on the pale skin. He decided not to ask any questions about them or even acknowledge their existence, scared of ruining the child’s mood. This home was supposed to be a safe haven after all. A shelter from whatever happened at his own home. Mako wished he could help him out, but there was little he could do. Not without ending up in jail, himself. Authorities had told him they were unable to help, either. Somehow the kid’s father managed to declutter their home and hide all traces of neglect right before social workers appeared on their doorstep. And the boy would never speak of the abuse. It was an aggravating situation.  
All he could do was let him in and keep him safe for a while. It hurt the solar farmer’s heart knowing he had to bring him back to his father, before he’d get accused of kidnapping. That had happened, before. He’d had a lot of explaining to do.  
  
Big amber eyes stared up at him, once more.  
  
“Can I stay ‘ere, mister Rutledge?” the child asked. “Can you tell me another story about Mo-wee?”  
“Māui,” Mako sighed. Off course he’d try to stall.  
Then again, his pajamas and underwear were still in the washing machine and he most certainly didn’t want to drop him off wrapped in nothing but a towel.  
“Okay. One story and then you’ll go to sleep. I’ll take you back home first thing in the morning,” he said after thinking it over.  
The boy’s father would probably be out cold at this very moment, and dealing with a drunkard at this time of night was the last thing Mako wanted. He could nap on the couch this once to let the youngster sleep on his king-size bed. He’d probably have a ball spending all of his energy jumping on it before actually laying down to rest. It was fine, though. Let him be a kid for once.  
  
All through the night the solar farmer checked up on the boy, just to make sure he didn’t suffer from any bad dreams. Luckily, he was sound asleep. Poor kid must’ve been exhausted after many sleepless nights. Mako stood near the bed, his brain desperately trying to find a way to make things right. There he was: the giant Mako Rutledge. The man who could fit another person’s head in the palm of his hand. Who had finished second in the World’s Strong Man competition a couple years ago – the title had gone to a German guy who was even taller than him. Of whom a great part of his identity was documented on his face, from his social status back in New Zealand to the heritage he was so proud of since his family was supposedly related to none other than the demigod Māui.  
He was strong. Powerful. Feared by most.  
Yet he felt hopeless.

Mako had been unable to sleep all night. The mere thought of taking the boy back to his father was dreadful. One day, the kid wouldn’t be strolling over to his terrain. He just knew it.  
After a quick breakfast and helping him get dressed, a small hand wrapped around one giant finger. The child tried to buy more time during their walk, stopping to point at anything he saw and asking a million questions. A part of Mako didn’t want him to ever stop talking. The other part wanted to get this over with as soon as possible.  
Once they finally got to the house, the solar farmer banged on the door. He knew the bastard wouldn’t respond to polite knocking.  
  
After a couple of minutes, the door was answered by a lanky, blonde man.  
“Whadda ya want, Rutledge?” he snarled.  
“Your son was wandering around. Thought I’d bring him back home because – you know – he’s four years old.”  
Dark eyes looked down at the boy.  
“Get the fuck inside and go to your room,” the man growled.  
Mako felt the little hand tighten around his finger, before the child let go and ran up the stairs.  
His neighbor was about to close the door in his face, but he forced it back open with one hand.  
“Now what? Ya want a reward or somethin’? Get your fat ass off of my terrain, Rutledge. Gotta deal with the little shit.”  
“Don’t you dare hurt him.”  
“He’s my kid, I can do whatever the hell I want.”  
“I saw the bruises. You’re hurting him.”  
“Wouldya look at that. The Kiwi knows cause and effect. Great job. Now fuck off and mind your own business.”  
“He’s a child!” Mako yelled, anger building up inside of him.  
“He’s _my_ child,” the man yelled back. “And if I want to beat the shit out of him, then that’s my right as his father. He ain’t yours, Rutledge, and never will be! Now take your damn superhero antics and shove ‘ em up that big arse of yours _and get offa my property before I call the police_.”  
Mako’s free hand grabbed the son of a bitch by the neck and held him up. All the pent up rage was about to escape. He had to let go of him. Should do so. Didn’t want to. That bastard didn’t deserve to live. Waste of space.  
  
He glanced toward the staircase. The boy was crouching there, big amber eyes that had been staring up at him since last evening were now looking down upon him. In both cases, the boy had had a pleading look on his face. Though this time, he wasn’t pleading for shelter.  
  
No, the kid was pleading for Mako to hurt his father on his behalf. To take revenge for what had been done to both him and his mother.  
  
“Go to your room,” the solar farmer said. He didn’t want the kid to witness this act of violence.  
Yet the boy stayed put.  
“Jamison, go back upstairs,” he tried once more. Not often did he call the kid by his given name. It reminded him of James, the man he was named after. The man who didn’t deserve to be a father. The man who was gasping for air but still had a damn sickening grin plastered across his face.  
“Ya think he ain’t used to all this?” his neighbor muttered between shallow breaths. “Little shit has seen ‘nough. Go ahead. Show him what y’really are. Fuckin’ giant-ass monster.”  
“I think you and I both know who’s the real monster.”  
“Sure. Still potent ‘nough to successfully knock a bitch up, though. Unlike you. Five miscarriages and a stillborn, wasn’t it? No wonder your ex left ya.”  
Mako squeezed harder, making the man struggle against his grip. Calling him names was one thing, but bringing this particular subject up was below the belt.  
  
“Do it,” a small voice said.  
  
He glanced at Jamison, who was now holding onto the banisters and watching the scene in anticipation.  
“Do it, mister Rutledge,” he spoke again. “Make it stop. Make him stop. I hate him. He hates me. Hates mom.”  
“What did he do to your mother?”  
The question had left his mouth before he realized it. Shit, he probably shouldn’t have –  
“He hit her till she fell. Kicked her some more and then she was bleeding and then she stopped moving. I’m scared, mister Rutledge. I don’t want him to hurt me till I stop moving. He said he will. Please don’t let him do that. Please.”  
He felt hot and cold and nauseous and goddamn mad all at the same time. He knew it. Never found a way to prove it until now, but he knew it.  
“Go to your room, Jamison. I’ll take care of this.”  
“Are you gonna make him stop moving?”  
Mako didn’t answer the question. Still, the boy nodded and ran back upstairs.

After making sure no-one was around to witness what was about to happen, Mako had dragged the man outside, thrown him to the ground and put a heavy boot on his chest. He demanded to know what he had done to the body of the boy’s mother. The corpse was burned, remains dumped in a desolated part of the Outback, miles away. She had been expecting a second child, James told him. She had wanted to file for divorce, since there was no way the baby was his. They hadn’t slept together for months. She had slept with _Mako_ , however, for one last time. They had agreed it wouldn’t become a regular occurrence, like it had a couple years earlier. Not unless she got divorced. Not unless she’d leave James and become Mako’s partner.  
  
He had waited for her to come back to him. Days, weeks, months…  
If only he had known she was pregnant and that she _did_  want to be with him. If only he had known she’d get murdered because of it.  
  
It would’ve taken the solar farmer one good stomp on the head to kill the other man. It would’ve probably been more humane to set him on fire after making sure he was dead. But he needed to get revenge on behalf of the defenseless.  
  
_When you are on friendly terms, settle your disputes in a friendly way; when you are at war, you must redress your injuries by violence._  
  
He kicked James hard enough in the lower back to break his spine and went to look for a flammable liquid. Families in this area usually had fuel in stock. Sure enough, he found several full jerry cans.  
  
It was the very first time he had witnessed someone burn alive. The stench was horrible. The man’s unnatural screams would be stuck in his brain for years to come.  
The look on the boy’s face as he watched the flames from the window made Mako wonder how many therapy sessions would be needed to keep him from growing up a deranged individual.  
  
When it was finally, finally over, he had to find a way to hide the remains for all eternity. A shovel and wheelbarrow were used to put most of it in the shed right next to the house. He called out to the boy to stay put while he went home to get his chopper and some plastic bags.  
  
He returned to find the house ablaze and Jamison standing at a safe distance, admiring what Mako assumed was his own work.  
  
Well, that was one way to get rid of evidence.  
  
The fire brigade was notified. So was Jamison’s aunt. Everything happened so fast at this point, that Mako’s mind had little time to fully process it all. The home burnt down to the ground. Both he and the kid were interviewed by the police. Good thing Jamison was smart enough not to mention how the solar farmer had killed his father. He had said it was an accident. He’d been playing with fire inside the house while his dad was asleep. It all matched Mako’s story. He was free to go.  
  
Jamison’s aunt on the other hand knew that the boy’s story was a load of bullshit. She didn’t report it to the police, though. Instead, she confronted the giant man.  
“James was dead before the fire started, wasn’t he?” she asked him. “Not that it matters, that bastard had made my sister’s life a living hell for long enough. Until she – You know.”  
“Sorry for your loss. She was a great person. Wonderful mother, too.”  
She muttered a ‘thank you’. Her hand was resting on Jamison’s blonde hair.  
“Guess the boy will be living with you? Where will you be heading?”  
“Amoonguna. You can come visit any time you want. My sister always spoke about how fond Jamie is of you.”  
“Isn’t that one of the towns that’ll –“  
“That’s supposed to be given to the Omnics. Yes. But they’re still negotiating and we haven’t received an eviction notice, yet. Besides, the Australian Liberation Front keeps track of the progress. My husband recently joined them. We won’t give in that easily.”  
“I might want to look into that.”  
“The ALF could use a levelheaded man like you, even if it’s just to make sure the rest of them won’t make any bad decisions.”  
“Can’t have ‘em destroy what we’re protecting, right?”  
  
A soft smile appeared on her face. The kid kept grinning at him while his aunt got ready to drive back to her place. Sure, he had lost all of his belongings, but he gained freedom and that was more important to him. No more fear of being beaten to death. No more worries about having to go another day without a proper meal. Mako was sure his aunt would take good care of him and he’d join the ALF, even if it was just to make sure his new home would stay out of the hands of the Omnics.  
  
And if there was even one person who’d dare to destroy Amoonguna...  
  
He’d kill that bastard with his own bare hands.


End file.
